- Get plenty of rest.
- Avoid salt in your diet, at the table and in your canned or processed foods.
- Keep as active as you can.
- Take all your medicines as directed.
- Weigh yourself frequently and keep a weight diary – increasing weight can be an early sign of worsening heart failure.
- Report any change in symptoms to your doctor,
- Drink alcohol only in moderation or not at all if your doctor directs.
- Learn about your condition.
- Obtain yearly flu shots.
- Control other cardiac risk factors and conditions.
- Eat a lot of salt (salt leads to fluid retention).
- Drink excessive fluids — in general no more than 6-8 cups of fluid/day.
- Smoke.
- Drink excessive alcohol.
- Skip your medications or adjust them without the direction of your physician.
- Take over the counter medications, particularly anti inflammatory agents, without alerting your physician.